Locke, Donald E to SanJose
show details 6:56 PM (2 hours ago) Reply
Warden Message
May 12, 2009
This Warden Message alerts U.S. citizens to the latest information
regarding human cases of H1N1 flu, also called Novel Influenza A (H1N1)
and formerly known as "swine flu". To date, in Costa Rica there are
eight confirmed cases and one fatality linked to the disease. The Costa
Rican Ministry of Health <http://influenza.ccss.sa.cr/> has issued
guidance on measures that should be taken to minimize transmission or
exposure to the flu. This information can be found at their website at
http://influenza.ccss.sa.cr/
Additionally, the Costa Rican Ministry of Health now requires arriving
and departing passengers to complete a health questionnaire that
includes whether the traveler has any flu symptoms, what countries the
traveler has visited in the last two weeks, and where the traveler will
be staying or has stayed while in Costa Rica. Travelers exhibiting flu
symptoms shall be referred to a medical consultant to assess for
possible H1N1 flu. Non-residents who are well enough to travel may be
denied entry by Immigration authorities and returned to their point of
origin. Costa Rican citizens and legal residents will be referred for
further assessment and monitoring. The U.S. Embassy will continue to
monitor this situation and will issue updated messages, as warranted.
For further information about Novel Influenza A (H1N1), including steps
you can take to stay healthy, please consult the Department of State
information at
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_t ... demic.html, the United
States Centers for Disease Control website at
http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu, and the World Health Organization website at
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html. For additional
travel safety information, please consult the State Department's website
at
www.travel.state.gov.
U.S. citizens may also call the Office of Overseas Citizens Services in
the United States for the latest travel information. The Office of
Overseas Citizens Services can be reached from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday, by calling 1-888-407-4747
from within the U.S. and Canada, or by calling (202) 501-4444 from other
countries.
Americans living or traveling in Costa Rica are encouraged to register
with the Embassy in San Jose through the State Department's travel
registration website,
https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/
<https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/> so that they can obtain
updated information on travel and security within Costa Rica. Americans
without internet access may register directly with the Embassy. By
registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact
them in case of emergency. The Embassy is located at the intersection of
Avenida Central and Calle 120 in the Pavas Section of San Jose;
telephone (506) 2519-2188; after hours emergency telephone (506)
8863-4895; ACS unit fax (506) 2519-2099; e-mail at
consularsanjose@state.gov ; web page
http://sanjose.usembassy.gov/